Australian PM regrets axing Indonesia trip: Jakarta

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott called the Indonesian president on Tuesday to express regret after axing a trip to Bali reportedly due to fears an asylum boat turn-back could inflame tensions, Jakarta said. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP

JAKARTA (AFP) - Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott called the Indonesian president on Tuesday to express regret after axing a trip to Bali reportedly due to fears an asylum boat turn-back could inflame tensions, Jakarta said.

The call came as Indonesian officials said a group of asylum-seekers were discovered on Sunday after being returned by Australian authorities, who used a new tactic by putting two boatloads of would-be refugees into one vessel before escorting them back.

At the weekend Abbott abruptly cancelled the visit to a conference on the resort island of Bali, which had been viewed as a bid to thaw ties damaged by Canberra's border protection policies and a row over spying.

Reports said he axed the trip, during which he had been due to meet Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, over fears the ongoing boat turn-back could worsen tensions.